Wednesday, April 30, 2014

The Face Shop Beauty Haul - Brand Spotlight

Story time! When I was a teenager, I was never into trying new products I've never heard about, because I felt it was a waste of money if I didn't love it. Growing up, I realized its so much fun trying new brands and products! I thought of doing brand spotlights because I love trying new brands and different products within the brand. This is where my brand spotlight posts come from.

Warning! This is going to be a rather lengthy post due to the nature of it being a brand spotlight. Hope you don't mind the read!

Yesterday I went to Fairview mall and saw that they had The Face Shop, which opened recently there. I have heard a few things about The Face Shop prior to my visit, but I did not know what to expect when I got in. Because this is a "brand spotlight" post and haul, I will be going into deep detail about the company/brand itself, and then into the products individually.

My "The Face Shop" Haul

Considering this was my first time purchasing from The Face Shop, I tried not to go overboard during the sale and I got only a few things.

Company Name:The Face ShopCountry of Orgin: KoreaDescription: It is a South Korean based cosmetics and skin care manufacturer, retailer and business. Their "brand story" is to provide consumers with products made with ingredients from nature. They are Korea's first cosmetic company committed to nature, and creates products from 600 natural ingredients such as flower grains, plants, fruits, mineral water, and oriental medicine. Currently, they carry the 3rd largest market share in the Korean cosmetics market, and have more than 2200 independent stores worldwide.

I'm actually super happy to see that they have branched out into Canada because I've always wanted to try cosmetics from Korea (also Japan). The only way I was able to purchase Korean based products before was through online shopping or going to Pacific Mall. Now, The Face Shop is opened in The Toronto Eaton Centre and Fairview Mall.

So I made these purchases during their "customer appreciation sale" for their grand opening. If you spent $25 you save $5, $35 you save $10 and $45 you save $15. I didn't ask how long the sale was going on for, but thats a pretty awesome sale, considering the products were not pricey what so ever.

Konjac Cleansing Puff ($4)

I was skeptical when thinking about purchasing this product because I didn't know what "konjac" was. All I was really looking for was a regular scruber or sponge for my face and this was what they had. Upon Googling what it was, it is defined as: a vegan substitute for gelatin (so it can be eaten??). It is known for its texture than its taste, and is very high in fibre. It is also used quite often as a facial sponge in Korea.

Directions: You wet the sponge and apply your cleanser to your face, and massage in a circular motion with the puff. You can also apply the cleanser directly on the puff as well doing the same circular motions. Then you just rinse it and hang it in a well ventilated place to dry. It can be used for up to 3 months.

Clean Face Sebum Control Soothing Mask Sheet ($3)

I've been in a mask phase lately and I was excited to see a mask that helps with oil control! This mask claims to keep your skin moisturized, cool and clean.

Directions: After toning your face, place the mask on your face and align the nose and mouth area. Keep it on for 15-20 minutes.

Sharp Face Modeling Gel Patch ($6)

I should of bought more of these to see if the results at the end will actually work, but this is the one mask I'm very intrigued by. I hate my chin and its buddy the double chin, so I definitely want to try this out haha. This mask apparently helps sharpen your chin into a V shape.

Directions: First you are required to do some "face yoga" first. What face yoga is, you're basically using your fingers and palms to pull your chin back and you repeat the process. After that you apply the mask. For better results you do the face yoga while wearing the mask.

If you are interested in seeing a video of how you do the face yoga and apply the mask, just leave a comment below!

Mango Seed Moisturizing Mask ($4)

I just read the packaging and realized that this was a face mask! Score! I thought it was a cream mask of some sort, which I would of been fine with too, but my favourites are sheet masks and peel off masks. I mainly bought this mask because it was mango, and I LOVE the scent of mango. Similar to the other sheet mask I purchased above, you also keep the mask on for 15-20 minutes. This one is a moisturizing mask to keep your skin hydrated.

Face It Radiance Concealer Dual Veil NB23 ($17)

Lately, the area around my nose has been acting up and any foundation, or concealer I used on it would eventually end up looking splotchy and cakey at the end of the day. My mission is to find an amazing concealer that will be long lasting and hydrating. Usually my face is super oily, but around my nose always looks really dry. Anyone have a good concealer recommendation? I am willing to try anything really!

The cover stick

What caught my eye about this concealer was that it was dual ended. This side which resembles a lipstick is the concealer stick is used for complete cover of more visible pigmentations and dark spots.

The liquid concealer

On the box it states that the liquid concealer is for larger areas with minor imperfections and discolouration. I think $17 is a great price for this concealer, considering you're getting two for the price of 1!

Lovely Me:Ex Mango Butter Lip Care Cream ($6)

Once again I purchased this solely on the fact it was mango scented. The scent is very faint, but the lip cream itself is pretty amazing. It doesn't feel thick or heavy at all, and it feels comfortable on the lips. When applying make sure to use a thin layer, going too thick results in it feeling a bit sticky. Otherwise the formula feels great!

Face It Designing Cake Eyebrow Kit in Beige Brown ($9)

I purchased this on a whim since I'm still on the hunt for the perfect brow product as well. Lately my eyebrows have been looking a little uneven and sad.

My cousin mentioned to me that this looks exactly like the Urban Decay Brow Box but only a quarter of the price! I know, I should just try the dipbrow from Anastasia but I really like powder for my eyebrows and I want to find an awesome one before I settle!

The Face Shop's Favourite Collection

Upon making my purchase, the cashier also told me that I was receiving this package filled with awesome samples! Its a collection of their best selling/favourite products.

Here is an overview of all the products inside the little package. 6 samples, how awesome!!

I hope you enjoyed my first brand spotlight! I plan to do many more of these to help people determine the overall quality of beauty brands out there.

Do you enjoy trying new brands? Do you recommend any I should try? Feel free to leave a comment!

Freaking amazing haul! I love their stuff too and have been going through a box of 24 of their masks! I just got the mango mask recently but haven't used it yet! Im going back to get their mango cleansing balm to try! I love that sachet of samples, that awesome, we'd never get so many here!

Wow theres a Holika Holika downtown?! I didn't even know that! I knew there was one in Pacific Mall in Markham but awesome, thats great to know! Yeah I've seen the stuff at Pacific Mall, definitely going to check out their stuff when I go there Thursday!